Picnic 14.09
Title: Picnic
Fandom: RPS
Story: Highway: Reconnected 14.09
Characters: Alan Davies and Robert Sean Leonard
Authors: michelleann68 + evila_elf = evila_ann
Prompt: None
Word Count: 1616
Rating: PG
Summary: Alan and Robert decide to go for a picnic.
Authors’ Notes: Feel free to friend us if you want to read a day ahead of the communities.
Where it all began:
Big table of prompts is here:
Order of the story is here:
Previous story:
Panic
Robert peaked in the bags again, pushing items around as he went through all of the items he and Alan had packed. "Water?"
"Yes."
He poked around a little more. "Salt and pepper?"
"Yes."
"Utensils?"
"Bloody hell..." Alan walked into the kitchen and pushed Robert towards the door, giving him a bag to carry. "Yes, yes, and yes...we are only going six kilometers down the road. It's all in there."
"I just want to make sure."
Alan and Robert walked out to the car and, after they set the bags in the boot, Alan leaned in for a quick kiss. "Relax, we are on a break... and can improvise." They climbed into the car and Alan and took off down the hill towards the beach, looking for a place to stop. Robert pointed out a parking space and Alan worked the small car into the spot. They both grabbed a bag and Alan tucked the blanket under his arm.
"Where are we going?" Robert followed Alan across the street as they took a right, avoiding the crowd on the beach, and moving to the rockier area.
"Trust me. Seems to be the mantra of the day."
Robert stopped and watched Alan walk ahead before rolling his eyes.
"I heard that..."
"What?"
"Your eyes rolling. Come on... just over here."
Robert rolled his eyes once more for good measure before he caught up and noticed Alan was breathing a little hard. "Need some help?"
Alan looked up, silently, not saying anything and he handed Robert part of the blanket and they laid it down on the sandy surface, tucked back from the beach, craggy rocks separating them from the road. There was a smattering of people taking advantage of the sun, lying out across the beach.
Alan sat on the edge of the blanket and he looked over at Robert, who decided to lie across the center, his eyes closed, feeling the weak breeze come off the water. "Times like this I just want to freeze the moment...not move forward or backward."
"Life's not that kind," Robert said softly.
Alan reached out a toe and pushed on Robert's arm. "I should appreciate this moment then."
"We both should." He turned his head to look at Alan, squinting from the bright sun.
"Somehow I think we forget that."
"The world starts moving again and we have too many responsibilities to deal with. That the pure and happy moments of sitting next to the person you love, on a beach in a foreign country, and talking...they are too fleeting."
"We could have this more often," Alan said slowly, not trying to push Robert into this conversation, just throwing something out to see if he would bite.
Robert closed his eyes and hoped that Alan did not see the slight flinch, a reflex he couldn’t stop. He reached his hand back and groped for Alan's ankle.
Alan smiled and looked down at Robert doing his best to distract. "Think House will get a sixth series?"
Robert laughed and squeezed Alan's ankle, returning to an easier conversation. "I hope not. The show is still doing well, but most of the cast contracts are up this year, so if NBC wants to pay us money, lots of it...well I guess we will see."
"But what do you want? Will you take the paycheck if they offer you..."
"A shit load of money? I guess that is what stops me. On the one hand, I have no idea if I will make that amount of money again, and I need to keep saving, but it is really...not boring...but not fulfilling, slipping into the same character," Robert tried to find the right words. "It does not give me space to spread my wings. It killed me that I missed 'The Coast of Utopia' with Ethan. There is so much theater to do..."
"Too many parts, not enough time?"
"Something like that...I just don't want to loose too many opportunities. I already feel like I am missing out..."
"In New York?"
"Yes, I miss it. It's a real city, self-contained and comforting. I can find anything I need, do whatever I want, and there is a sense of anonymity to it all. I miss the rhythm of a play. Rehearsals, and performing eight times a week, everything is focused...you know...you understand."
Alan stretched out his legs and moved a little further down closer to Robert. "I still prefer my material, and a live audience, all alone on stage, like walking across a lake of sharks."
"You like danger..."
Alan nudged Robert with his toe again.
"I admire that. I wish some would rub off on me."
Alan looked down at Robert, his eyes were still closed and Alan wished they would open and look up at him, that they could share this moment open with each other. He reached his hand out and brushed Robert's hair back, the silken strands slipping through his fingers.
Robert smiled and opened his eyes, looking at Alan. He slowly sat up and turned around, his back to the ocean, and faced Alan. He looked down at his knees then back up at his boyfriend. "It's so much easier to tuck myself into a character."
"I do the same thing... I reveal with out revealing..."
"This was a great idea..."
"What idea?"
"A vacation. This. A respite from daily life."
"Well, if you had not...." Alan left the rest hang. "I needed to get out of London, it's just better with present company."
"We needed...this...I think. It has been good for us."
"I don't want you to go back, but I know you have to."
"Alan, please. Let's enjoy these last few days. Just forget..."
"But we can't because it's coming fast, we go back to London for five days and then..."
"I go to New York and do a little voice work." Robert sighed, remembering the phone call he had taken a few days ago and the debate over if he should take the job offer. "Are you sure...?"
"And I'll miss you...." Alan cut in, looking down and tracing circles in the sand. "Not just the physical stuff. I will miss our day-to-day stuff... just sharing with you."
"We will be together for Thanksgiving. Remember the great Leonard Thanksgiving Feast." Robert laughed, trying to deflect the conversation a little. "We will always find time. Time for pattern and routines...times to be together."
Alan looked up. His eyes were sad and a little darker. He kept eye contact with Robert and they both sat there for a few minutes, just staring into each other. Alan was looking for that part of Robert that was ready to leap into a lifelong partnership. Alan could see love and devotion, but he knew Robert was not ready. This was a wonderful place, but not the right time.
"So, I think I can fly out early November. Should I just meet you in LA?"
Robert was happy that Alan changed the subject. He looked down for a few beats and took off his glasses. "Fly to LA, yeah. I am sure Lisa will want to have us over for dinner... she really likes you and she really pushed me to realize what a jack ass..."
"LA it is." Alan's face brightened a little as he buried his feelings, for now, and focused on their next trip. "So... I would guess it is not a vegetarian feast?"
"No. Turkey and ham...with all the traditional dishes. I think the potatoes and the green beans will be meat free."
"No tofukey?"
"Ha...no...I think bringing my boyfriend for dinner is enough of a change to tradition. A change to the menu might send Mom over the edge."
"Is she going to be okay? I don't want to make..."
"If not, we will go someplace else. You are important to me. And really, if they can't accept who I love, then we can break bread elsewhere."
"Robert, you can't just walk out on your family."
"You are my family too, Alan, so they will come around. It might take a decade or two... I can wait because I know you will be there." Robert reached out a hand and laid it on top of Alan's, not wanting to draw attention, but this conversation was deeper then he expected and he needed to hang on to Alan for a few moments so that the world would stop spinning around him.
"You are welcome in me family anytime. Sis loves you, that is definite."
"Yes, I know." A few tears slipped down Robert's face, they both ignored them.
"And she insists on having us for dinner, the minute we return to London. She really wouldn't let me refuse."
"Your sister, cooking? Is that safe?"
"It's debatable. She does a fair job... we could go out to a restaurant if you prefer?"
"No, no, that will be fun. We will just make sure to take a cab and bring the wine."
"Sounds like a plan to me." Alan leaned forward and gave Robert a gentle kiss to the top of his knee and he shivered. "Want to get back to the house? Maybe take a quick tussle before dinner?"
"Right, sure, anything you want. Fozzie." Robert stood up and took a quick step back.
"Hey... not that again." Alan stuck out his hand and let Robert pull him up.
"It fits... I think you need to try the hat and tie combo sometime." Robert laughed, his whole face lighting up in the sun.
Alan smiled broadly as he started to put away the uneaten food. The air was cooling down, but they had an enduring warmth that wrapped them together.
14.10 Catching a Late Night read
Fandom: RPS
Story: Highway: Reconnected 14.09
Characters: Alan Davies and Robert Sean Leonard
Authors: michelleann68 + evila_elf = evila_ann
Prompt: None
Word Count: 1616
Rating: PG
Summary: Alan and Robert decide to go for a picnic.
Authors’ Notes: Feel free to friend us if you want to read a day ahead of the communities.
Where it all began:
Big table of prompts is here:
Order of the story is here:
Previous story:
Panic
Robert peaked in the bags again, pushing items around as he went through all of the items he and Alan had packed. "Water?"
"Yes."
He poked around a little more. "Salt and pepper?"
"Yes."
"Utensils?"
"Bloody hell..." Alan walked into the kitchen and pushed Robert towards the door, giving him a bag to carry. "Yes, yes, and yes...we are only going six kilometers down the road. It's all in there."
"I just want to make sure."
Alan and Robert walked out to the car and, after they set the bags in the boot, Alan leaned in for a quick kiss. "Relax, we are on a break... and can improvise." They climbed into the car and Alan and took off down the hill towards the beach, looking for a place to stop. Robert pointed out a parking space and Alan worked the small car into the spot. They both grabbed a bag and Alan tucked the blanket under his arm.
"Where are we going?" Robert followed Alan across the street as they took a right, avoiding the crowd on the beach, and moving to the rockier area.
"Trust me. Seems to be the mantra of the day."
Robert stopped and watched Alan walk ahead before rolling his eyes.
"I heard that..."
"What?"
"Your eyes rolling. Come on... just over here."
Robert rolled his eyes once more for good measure before he caught up and noticed Alan was breathing a little hard. "Need some help?"
Alan looked up, silently, not saying anything and he handed Robert part of the blanket and they laid it down on the sandy surface, tucked back from the beach, craggy rocks separating them from the road. There was a smattering of people taking advantage of the sun, lying out across the beach.
Alan sat on the edge of the blanket and he looked over at Robert, who decided to lie across the center, his eyes closed, feeling the weak breeze come off the water. "Times like this I just want to freeze the moment...not move forward or backward."
"Life's not that kind," Robert said softly.
Alan reached out a toe and pushed on Robert's arm. "I should appreciate this moment then."
"We both should." He turned his head to look at Alan, squinting from the bright sun.
"Somehow I think we forget that."
"The world starts moving again and we have too many responsibilities to deal with. That the pure and happy moments of sitting next to the person you love, on a beach in a foreign country, and talking...they are too fleeting."
"We could have this more often," Alan said slowly, not trying to push Robert into this conversation, just throwing something out to see if he would bite.
Robert closed his eyes and hoped that Alan did not see the slight flinch, a reflex he couldn’t stop. He reached his hand back and groped for Alan's ankle.
Alan smiled and looked down at Robert doing his best to distract. "Think House will get a sixth series?"
Robert laughed and squeezed Alan's ankle, returning to an easier conversation. "I hope not. The show is still doing well, but most of the cast contracts are up this year, so if NBC wants to pay us money, lots of it...well I guess we will see."
"But what do you want? Will you take the paycheck if they offer you..."
"A shit load of money? I guess that is what stops me. On the one hand, I have no idea if I will make that amount of money again, and I need to keep saving, but it is really...not boring...but not fulfilling, slipping into the same character," Robert tried to find the right words. "It does not give me space to spread my wings. It killed me that I missed 'The Coast of Utopia' with Ethan. There is so much theater to do..."
"Too many parts, not enough time?"
"Something like that...I just don't want to loose too many opportunities. I already feel like I am missing out..."
"In New York?"
"Yes, I miss it. It's a real city, self-contained and comforting. I can find anything I need, do whatever I want, and there is a sense of anonymity to it all. I miss the rhythm of a play. Rehearsals, and performing eight times a week, everything is focused...you know...you understand."
Alan stretched out his legs and moved a little further down closer to Robert. "I still prefer my material, and a live audience, all alone on stage, like walking across a lake of sharks."
"You like danger..."
Alan nudged Robert with his toe again.
"I admire that. I wish some would rub off on me."
Alan looked down at Robert, his eyes were still closed and Alan wished they would open and look up at him, that they could share this moment open with each other. He reached his hand out and brushed Robert's hair back, the silken strands slipping through his fingers.
Robert smiled and opened his eyes, looking at Alan. He slowly sat up and turned around, his back to the ocean, and faced Alan. He looked down at his knees then back up at his boyfriend. "It's so much easier to tuck myself into a character."
"I do the same thing... I reveal with out revealing..."
"This was a great idea..."
"What idea?"
"A vacation. This. A respite from daily life."
"Well, if you had not...." Alan left the rest hang. "I needed to get out of London, it's just better with present company."
"We needed...this...I think. It has been good for us."
"I don't want you to go back, but I know you have to."
"Alan, please. Let's enjoy these last few days. Just forget..."
"But we can't because it's coming fast, we go back to London for five days and then..."
"I go to New York and do a little voice work." Robert sighed, remembering the phone call he had taken a few days ago and the debate over if he should take the job offer. "Are you sure...?"
"And I'll miss you...." Alan cut in, looking down and tracing circles in the sand. "Not just the physical stuff. I will miss our day-to-day stuff... just sharing with you."
"We will be together for Thanksgiving. Remember the great Leonard Thanksgiving Feast." Robert laughed, trying to deflect the conversation a little. "We will always find time. Time for pattern and routines...times to be together."
Alan looked up. His eyes were sad and a little darker. He kept eye contact with Robert and they both sat there for a few minutes, just staring into each other. Alan was looking for that part of Robert that was ready to leap into a lifelong partnership. Alan could see love and devotion, but he knew Robert was not ready. This was a wonderful place, but not the right time.
"So, I think I can fly out early November. Should I just meet you in LA?"
Robert was happy that Alan changed the subject. He looked down for a few beats and took off his glasses. "Fly to LA, yeah. I am sure Lisa will want to have us over for dinner... she really likes you and she really pushed me to realize what a jack ass..."
"LA it is." Alan's face brightened a little as he buried his feelings, for now, and focused on their next trip. "So... I would guess it is not a vegetarian feast?"
"No. Turkey and ham...with all the traditional dishes. I think the potatoes and the green beans will be meat free."
"No tofukey?"
"Ha...no...I think bringing my boyfriend for dinner is enough of a change to tradition. A change to the menu might send Mom over the edge."
"Is she going to be okay? I don't want to make..."
"If not, we will go someplace else. You are important to me. And really, if they can't accept who I love, then we can break bread elsewhere."
"Robert, you can't just walk out on your family."
"You are my family too, Alan, so they will come around. It might take a decade or two... I can wait because I know you will be there." Robert reached out a hand and laid it on top of Alan's, not wanting to draw attention, but this conversation was deeper then he expected and he needed to hang on to Alan for a few moments so that the world would stop spinning around him.
"You are welcome in me family anytime. Sis loves you, that is definite."
"Yes, I know." A few tears slipped down Robert's face, they both ignored them.
"And she insists on having us for dinner, the minute we return to London. She really wouldn't let me refuse."
"Your sister, cooking? Is that safe?"
"It's debatable. She does a fair job... we could go out to a restaurant if you prefer?"
"No, no, that will be fun. We will just make sure to take a cab and bring the wine."
"Sounds like a plan to me." Alan leaned forward and gave Robert a gentle kiss to the top of his knee and he shivered. "Want to get back to the house? Maybe take a quick tussle before dinner?"
"Right, sure, anything you want. Fozzie." Robert stood up and took a quick step back.
"Hey... not that again." Alan stuck out his hand and let Robert pull him up.
"It fits... I think you need to try the hat and tie combo sometime." Robert laughed, his whole face lighting up in the sun.
Alan smiled broadly as he started to put away the uneaten food. The air was cooling down, but they had an enduring warmth that wrapped them together.
14.10 Catching a Late Night read